Mary of Burgundy

"Messires," said Crevecoeur, "the Duke ought in justice to have the

first of my wares, as the Seigneur takes his toll before open market

begins. But tell me, are your news of a sad or a pleasant complexion?"

The person whom he particularly addressed was a lively looking man,

with an eye of great vivacity, which was corrected by an expression

of reflection and gravity about the mouth and upper lip--the whole

physiognomy marking a man who saw and judged rapidly, but was sage and

slow in forming resolutions or in expressing opinions. This was the

famous Knight of Hainault, son of Collara, or Nicolas de l'Elite, known

in history, and amongst historians, by the venerable name of Philip de

Comines, at this time close to the person of Duke Charles the Bold, and

one of his most esteemed counsellors. He answered Crevecoeur's question

concerning the complexion of the news of which he and his companion, the

Baron D'Hymbercourt, were the depositaries.

[D'Hymbercourt, or Imbercourt, was put to death by the inhabitants

of Ghent, with the Chancellor of Burgundy, in the year 1477. Mary of

Burgundy, daughter of Charles the Bold, appeared in mourning in the

marketplace, and with tears besought the life of her servants from her

insurgent subjects, but in vain. S.]

Tearful Mary of Burgundy was the daughter of Charles the Bold, a major character in Walter Scott’s “Quentin Durward”, from which the text/note above come.  Mary married a Habsburg, Archduke Maximilian of Austria, but died five years later after a fall from a horse.  Mary was 25 when she died, on March 27^th, 1482.